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Sunday, 30 June 2013

I think mori is one of the more wearable styles from Japan, because it's quite easy to add a flavour of it to any outfit by the use of earthy tones, heavy layering and wool, cotton or fur textures.

There isn't a lot of mori on LB, but proof of how this style has grown is that since my last post on mori girls, full outfit pictures are a lot more abundant in Google images. Below are just nine of my favourites I grabbed from Google. The top row shows that it doesn't all have to be browns and creams - blues, greens and purples work just as well, as long as there's the length and layering element to the look.

Below is a list of my sources, and links to other photos I may not have used:

Wednesday, 26 June 2013

I can't believe it's been over half a year since I finished painting Dunban. I think I started playing Xenoblade in late summer and since, it's remained one of my obsessions. I didn't post it here when I finished it because I wanted to shorten his nose or something like that, but unsurprisingly, I can't be bothered.

Saturday, 22 June 2013

It's not lolita but this outfit's inspired by the substyle EGL, elegant gothic lolita. I bought this dress several years ago for violin solos and I swear it used to be almost knee-length, but it appears that I've grown since then. I wish it were longer! Otherwise it's a very pretty dress, and has a really awesome lace-up back which you can't see here.

Friday, 21 June 2013

School field trips, school shows, orchestra auditions, orchestra concerts, uni open days - everything has decided to happen this week, and I am exhausted. Having decided that open days are thoroughly depressing affairs and I hardly stand a chance against over ten other applicants for one spot on a dentistry course, I will now proceed to freak out over the weekend.

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The Nostalgia of Summer

By Ashley "Ashe" Robison

It’s been a long time since I’ve edited LALM, but it’s how I began my
time as an IFB contributor. It seems appropriate to return during the
summer because it’s always been the season for nostalgia. It doesn’t
help that I turn thirty this summer, something I look forward to with a
great, child-like enthusiasm. It also makes me think about the last ten
years of my life, where I’ve gone, and how far I’ve come.

Somewhere in the heart of these posts is a sense of nostalgia they
bring out in me. Whether it’s the child-like enthusiasm over nails that
resemble a sprinkled ice cream cone and reminiscing about my first time
watching Breakfast at Tiffany’s or thinking about high school
physics with fashion, how I got out of credit card debt, or the changing
tide of the blogosphere, I hope these posts stir a bit of nostalgia in
you, too. (Or at least inspire you to start rewatching The Nanny on Netflix.)

Thursday, 20 June 2013

Whenever someone asks about wardrobe essentials, some of the answers are always the same: a pair of well-fitting jeans, some sturdy but versatile boots, and of course, a little black dress. Everyone and their next door neighbour's dentist has probably something to say about styling a LBD, but here are some of my favourites.

Tuesday, 18 June 2013

It's so depressing, looking at such stunningly beautiful lolita dresses that I can't ever hope to own. Normal stores on the streets in UK don't sell anything even remotely like these, and risking shipping from China would be like torture for me, but at least I can compile my favourite dresses I found.

Saturday, 15 June 2013

As well as its countless applications in industrial manufacturing, laser cutting allows fabulously intricate cut-out designs in clothing due to its high precision. Laser is an acronym for Light Amplification by Stimulated Emission of Radiation, but now I'm going to try to translate that into something intelligible, involving a gain medium and an optical cavity.

The gain medium is pumped with energy from an electrical current. When atoms in the medium absorb the energy, their electrons become excited, and are promoted to higher energy levels. The electrons then de-excite, falling back down to lower energy levels to emit photons, which are the particles or packets of energy that make up light.

The optical cavity is basically a chamber with a mirror at each end. The photons of light reflect back and forth between them through the gain medium, stimulating electrons to de-excite to emit photons of the same wavelength and phase. When the light can't acquire any more energy by bouncing between the mirrors through the gain medium, the gain is saturated and the light is laser light.

Laser light is coherent - the waves are 'in phase', or the photons are in sync with each other - and monochromatic, as the waves are of one wavelength. It is also very directional, which means it's concentrated and doesn't really scatter. You can't see a laser beam going through the air unless there's smoke or a lot of dust for the laser to reflect off into your eye. A lot of films don't seem to care though...

Wednesday, 12 June 2013

Every Pokemon trainer knows that one touch of electricity and that Gyarados is going down. Because Gyarados is water/flying type, it has quadruple weakness to electric, so its high base stats mean nothing against a tiny spark. Also, while it gets some strong dragon moves, it's not dragon type, so it's not that strong really. At least it looks cool!

Sunday, 9 June 2013

Before I was really into fashion I bought this wool tartan skirt by Red Herring from the sale racks. This was long before the circle skirt boom we're now in but I liked the thick material and the skirt's fullness. Nevertheless I never really wore it, because the colours didn't really match things in my wardrobe, and wearing a skirt back then was a massive effort for me.

No longer. Every few weeks at school this skirt makes an appearance on Tartan Monday. What's Tartan Monday, I hear you think? Every Monday is Tartan Monday. It is the day you wear tartan. Participants: me. Though I am occasionally successful in roping in a few friends - I think the maximum number of tartan people I rallied on one Tartan Monday is five or six.

Collar: New Look

Jumper: New Look

Bag: New Look, Christmas present

Skirt: Red Herring, Debenhams
Petticoat: Matalan

Socks: Pringle, TK Maxx

Boots: Clarks

In some of the pictures you can see my bright pink petticoat taking a sneaky look at the outside world from under the skirt. As if it's not poofy enough already!

Thursday, 6 June 2013

I'm done with normal exams for this year, but that was the easy bit, and I don't feel the liberation some of my classmates do, because I've got quite a lot of hurdles to get over before the summer holidays. Violin auditions, last-minute musicals, university open days, clinical aptitude tests, going round begging for work experience and volunteering places... you name it, I've got to do it in these next couple of months.

On a more light-hearted note, I swept the floor with 13374. (That rhymes! Also, slight exaggeration, but I did beat 'em.) That's right, you're reading the words of a Sinnoh Pokemon champion! In my save game, anyway...

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Primping All Proper

By Jennine Jacob

Getting ready for summer is no easy task. We’re baring more skin,
looking more 'natural' and working with less layers and actual clothes
to achieve that perfect style. So what do we do to make sure we’re
pulled together? Primp up! Between the hair care, pedicures (and what to
do if you’re too busy to get that done), getting that perfect braid and
that perfect make up for your 'natural look' without spending a fortune
there’s a lot to do! This week’s roundup has a good mix of where to get
all your beauty needs, and where to find the perfect accessories to go
with that simple summer dress!

Tuesday, 4 June 2013

The Legend of Zelda series has been one of my most long-standing obsessions. I grew up watching my sister play Ocarina of Time, and making clay figurines of Link, and things like that. You know that underground vault in Kakariko Village where Link learns the Sun's Song with all the ReDeads? Yes. It made me cry.

Sometimes it's quite difficult finding high-quality merchandise, because even a huge name in the gaming world is obscure overall, but I did find some pieces which are both subtle and elegant.

Despite fashion's obsession with hipster triangles, I have looked very carefully at the triangle jewellery and have been disappointed to find no Triforces. This gold-plated necklace is only very small, but I think it needs to be, to retain its sophistication.

If you've ever looked carefully at Link in some of the Zeldas - Ocarina of Time, Twilight Princess and Skyward Sword, definitely - you'll notice his small blue hoop earrings. I read it a long time ago, but I do recall upon reading it elsewear that in the Ocarina of Time manga, the earrings are a rite of passage for young Sheikah men. I don't have pierced ears, nor have I ever seriously considered piercing them, but if I did, I would certainly get me some of these earrings and wear them every day.

These wedding rings are just stunning, aren't they? The inscription on the inside reads 'it's dangerous to go through life alone'. That is just the cutest thing, and I think it calls for a Zelda/Lord of the Rings mash-up.

Saturday, 1 June 2013

I just spent at least two hours looking at university courses and rankings and locations and wondering how on this Earth I am going to get anywhere in life. Just how do you do it? What if straight As aren't enough? What if all the dentist schools reject me? Worst of all, what if I get into dentistry then find out I hate people and was cut out to do research rather than a service?

Life musings aside, this is a slight deviation from my usual style - I just don't wear shorts that much any more, but I wanted to try out this weird shorts layering. How do you like my new and improved lace-trimmed cycling shorts with lace that is actually elastic? It took about a year to find it! And what do you think about the shorts layering? Hit or miss?